Office of Student Affairs

Residency Application Manual

Application and Match Systems

There are several different application and match systems. The systems you will use are determined by the specialty to which you are applying. You might have to use more than one type of application or match system. The major ones are described below:

ERAS

The Electronic Residency Application Service Application System (ERAS) is used to distribute application materials to programs. Information about ERAS is on the web at www.aamc.org/eras. As of this writing, the following specialties will use ERAS:

1. *Anesthesiology
2. Child Neurology (Neurology)
3. *Dermatology
4. *Emergency Medicine
5. *Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine
6. *Family Medicine
7. *Internal Medicine
8. *Internal Medicine/Dermatology
9. *Internal Medicine/Emergency Medicine
10. *Internal Medicine/Family Practice
11. *Internal Medicine/Pediatrics
12. *Internal Medicine/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
13. *Internal Medicine/Psychiatry
14. *Neurology
15. *Neurological Surgery
16. *Nuclear Medicine
17. *Obstetrics and Gynecology
18. *Orthopaedic Surgery
19. *Otolaryngology
20. *Pathology-Anatomic & Clinical
21. *Pediatrics
22. *Pediatrics Dermatology
23. *Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine
24. *Pediatrics/Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
25. *Pediatrics/Psychiatry/Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
26. *Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
27. *Plastic Surgery
28. *Psychiatry
29. *Psychiatry/Family Practice
30. Psychiatry/Neurology
31. *Radiation Oncology
32. *Radiology-Diagnostic
33. *Surgery-General
34. *Transitional Year
35. Urology
36. *Vascular Surgery (Integrated)

* Indicates specialties that participate with the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)

"Tokens" are electronic codes that allow you to register and access MyERAS (your personal workstation in ERAS) online. Tokens will be available on or about July 1, and will be emailed to you. This number will be used one time only to access the MyERAS application at which time the AAMC ID Number will be assigned. Once you obtain your token from the OSA, you should go to the MyERAS website and click on register. After registering you will be assigned an AAMC ID #. We strongly recommend that you place the number in a safe place as you will need it several times during the course of this process. Please let Shawan Pearson know if you will be applying to programs outside of ERAS, and you will need to send her addresses to mail your MSPE and transcripts. For these programs, you are responsible for requesting the appropriate application materials and sending all supporting materials directly to them. Your letter writers should be supplied with mailing labels to send letters of recommendation directly to these programs.

NRMP

The National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Match System is popularly called "The Regular Match." This is the computer program by which students and programs rank each other and then are matched. It is used by students to enter a match list in February and is the match system used by the majority of specialties. The NRMP website is www.nrmp.org. Early Application and Match System (aka The San Francisco Match or The "Early Match") uses both a computer based common application system and a computer based matching system. It is used by the following specialties:

1. Neurosurgery
2. Child Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
3. Neurotology
4. Ophthalmology
5. Plastic Surgery (to enter after 3 years of general surgery)

Early Match

It is called the "Early Match" because the application and match schedules happen earlier than those of the "Regular Match." It is called the "San Francisco" match because the administrative offices are in San Francisco. Information about early match specialties is available on the web at www.sfmatch.org.

Urology Application and Early Match System:

The Urology Match uses both a computer based common application system and a computer based matching system. It is also an early match, managed by the Urology Matching Program. Match registration and application information for urology are available on the web at www.auanet.org. Some urology programs now use ERAS.

Also, for further information regarding the urology match contact:

The Urology Residency Matching Program
1000 Corporate Boulevard
Linthicum, MD 21090
Phone: 1-866-RING AUA (1-866-746-4282), ext. 3913
Fax: 410-689-3939
E-mail: resmatch@auanet.org

Federal Services/Military Early Application and Match Systems:

The U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy do not participate in the NRMP, but make their own appointments directly. Since the number of military appointments available is insufficient for the number of candidates applying, students must participate in the NRMP simultaneously to protect themselves. The military will announce their results in time for you to withdraw from the NRMP. Please contact the appropriate branch of the Armed Services to obtain information about application deadlines and procedures.

Army:

The Army will use the ERAS application system for all program applications. For further information and details about the application process, please visit www.armymedicine.army.mil.

Navy:

The Navy sends students information regarding the match during Year III. Students should make sure that the Navy has their current mailing address and e-mail information. The Navy will use the ERAS application system for all PGY I applications. For further information and details about the application process, please visit www.navy.com/healthcareopportunities/medicalcorps/.

Air Force:

For applications and information, visit www.af.mil/.

Canadian Early Application and Match System (CaRMS):

U.S. and Canadian students are permitted to participate in both matching programs. As the CaRMS match is run earlier, students participating in both programs must agree to accept the Canadian program to which they are matched. Their names will be automatically withdrawn from the NRMP Match if they match under the CaRMS. Those not matched by the CaRMS will remain in the NRMP Match. The CaRMS furnishes a listing of all dual participants to the NRMP for appropriate withdrawals. To contact the Canadian match:

Canadian Resident Matching Service
2283 Saint Laurent Blvd., Suite 110
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada K1G 5A2
Tel.: (613) 237-0075
(877)CARMS-42
FAX: (613) 563-2860
E-mail: carmsmail@carms.ca
Website: www.carms.ca

Couples/Partners Match:

There is a system by which you can enter your match lists as part of a couple. This will insure a match in the same geographic area. Each partner enrolls individually in the Match and indicates in the NRMP system that they want to be in the Match as a part of a couple. The NRMP allows couples to form pairs of choices on their primary rank order lists. The couple will match to the most preferred pair of programs on the rank order lists where each partner has been offered a position. For details, check the NRMP website at: www.nrmp.org.

Shared Residency:

The NRMP has a mechanism whereby a pair of applicants who wish to share a single, full-time residency position may do so through the Match, subject to the approval of residency directors. Check in Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access (FREIDA) to see if programs you like have shared residencies listed. You can also call programs directly; many programs don't list shared residencies but will help to accommodate interested students. For details, check the NRMP website at: www.nrmp.org.